September in a nutshell

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.2

One of my favorite pictures I have taken.

This is actually a re-post from over a year ago, but I felt like I needed to do it again. One of the reasons being A: I really miss the subjects, and B: I miss shooting with the camera. I have it, but I need to bring it in for repairs due to the camera eating film. Its a Polaroid land camera from 1965, and it just takes really great photos. When I scanned it the first time, it didn't turn out so good.

A classy work photo

No more low end tea parties.

Thanks to Chinatown, I have a lovely teapot! My old one suffered the fate of rust, which made me realize that I may have been a tad cheap initially. At least I'm self-aware, I guess.

Trash delivery made fun by Spock

Manhattan beach exteriors

A lovely day in the camera hood.

Outfitting

An oldie, but a fantastically goodie. I have had this versatile dress for at least, 5 years, and I have received lots of wear from it. Some days I layer shirts over it, throw on a sweater, or just wear as is. I half-assed the process in which to do a four image picture. As geeky as I am, you would think I would be terrific at these photo editing softwares...but mediocrity is my middle on this one.

Change of many paces

I have been making attempts at being more choice with my fashions as I step out. Time and time again, I glance at myself when out with friends, and I wonder; is this how I want to represent myself? I have been so lazy lately with my garb, it has consisted of plain V-necks, with jeans and a cardigan (which is classic, and looks nice) but really want to be a tad more pleasant looking.
Blaming it partly on the Sartorialist (sp?) and on other interweb sites, I think at 29, yours truly needs a clothes lift.

Without further adieu, outfit for day 1.

Lady Joplin's porsche, Grammy museum

Laundry is tres exciting

This cat is the bees knees.

Fancy Cookies, Fancy Times

(I wrote this in March, of 2005 while master controllin' in MN. I believe it was an overnight shift)


5:15am I gaze longingly at my now-empty bag of chips, with the hope of maybe some little mouse or a borrower decided to nest inside. Distraught, I throw the bag away, but not without taking one last peek in the bag.

5:18Am I decided to capitalize the A in AM.

5:19am After much debate, the a went back to lowercase.

5:19Am Alright, I sort of enjoy the large A. Very much in command, almost boastful, but not enough to intimidate.

5:20AM The M started a revolt among the letters and almost wouldn't stop until I made her capitalized. I thought I never wanted children. Until AM came along, I was childless.

5:23AM A told me a great story. She acted it out with a great flourish, so great that she knocked my tea over. I tell her everyday that there is a career in stand-up with her name on it, but she insists on being a exotic dancer/rodeo clown. It's her life.

5:26AM I think A wants to have babies. Last night, I overheard her telling M and that scrawny johnson boy from next door that she wants someone to fill her with babies.

4:30AM Whilst changing the clock to set the next alarm for my recording at 6Am, I accidently added an hour*. Mostly wishful thinking.

*Please do not feel led astray, I really didn't know that I am an idiot and added an hour. These events really did happen.

4:33AM A confessed that she was feeling a mommy tendancy. She told me that I wouldn't understand and that I am lucky to "own" ( I have tried to repeatedly tell her that it's built in) a uterus to spawn. I think the best part of this conversation was that she came home after her rodeo clownin' and still had her outfit on.

Dreams actualized.

Update for the interested party.

1. I will be heading to the Carolinas next week, for some good times. I will hopefully do some mobile blogging, if I remember. I am a bit of a jackass sometimes.

2. Currently been working on my portfolio, on and off. It's coming along. I re-posted one on my Vimeo, with a couple of tweaks.

3. Also working on a project with my co-worker. It involves a family of Wigs, (not to be confused with the Whig party, history buffs) incidentally all named wig. Well, the main character is nicknamed "Wigzy", but it's just something silly we are putting together. I will have a file uploaded soon for the interested parties.

4. Been going to the beach a few times a week, along with doing lots of weight training with my cardio. I will be boob-less in no time...kidding.

I think that will do.

I love bread.

Love and circus freaks

I've come to the conclusion that I am sick of meeting and hearing about gorgeous people. Some might point and wave the insecurity flag in my face, and to that I say, not true. I am a very secure and confident lass, albeit a bored one.

We live in Los Angeles, with lots of good looking and if yer lucky, intelligent people. Now, I am totally down for meeting cool, good looking people. But it's 2010, can't we be more, um, creative?

I would much rather have this preface:

"Ok, so Jack's partner is really great, no worries. But one thing: He has a quatto on the side of his head."

This scenario would be preferential as well:

Them: "So, Anne is coming over, and I just have to tell you real quick...she has a slight abnormalcy."
Me: "What, does she have narcolepsy or something?"
Them: "She has a mouth like Predator."
Me: "Uhm, is that possible?"

See?

Quote of the Week.

"Is that the one with the gold robot?"

My co-worker, when asked about Star Wars.

Quote of the Week.

"All they do is sleep and cause mischief."

My brother, complaining about his autistic roommates at his group home.

Always enjoyable.

BUST Magazine

Totally awesome.

1. Baking oatmeal chocolate/chocolate chocolate chip cookies on a 4th of July, while the live-in is hanging out with friends.

2. Enjoying the last few days of alone time, considering I have been in school, and not able to really enjoy the time.

3. Am working on a sewing project that is coming out "eh", but all-in-all, it has been great to get back into doing hand crafts.

4. just really happy and in love, which is an excellent change of pace.

5. should probably get to work on my portfolio...whoops!

A Minnesota state of mind. Part I

The other night at work, a co-worker and I were discussing Los Angeles' inadequacies. We generally do this every few weeks, due to the mass ego that native Californians sometimes possess. He being from Boston, I; Minneapolis, compare how intelligent, and diverse our home cites are. Sometimes they are gaps in discussion, due to the daydream state we both indulge in.
I pick up with the lackadaisical began; continuing to describe my days employed at Wal-mart. At the time, there was a family of God fearing Liberian refugees, who had endured the horrors of a brutal civil war. They were some of the most kind, intriguing, and welcoming people I had ever had the honor of meeting. The eldest of the family, John, would always tell me I can always call him and talk if I needed to. And a few times, I did. I had such a great relationship with these people, and it's a regret that I was 18 and naive, and let that slip away. It was such a wake up call to me, interacting with people that I have only heard about on tv. The intense reality of the branding scars I was shown due to the constant rape she endured, stories from their childhood from when they were forced to drop the jump rope, and wield AK47s instead. One of their brothers still lived there, and they were trying so hard to bring him here.
I had such an incredible amount of respect for this family. After everything they had encountered; their consistently positive outlook made my teen angst completely trivial.

Pema Chodron to save the day.

I have been reading "When Things Fall Apart", and I enjoy posting occasional paragraphs that inspire and change my perspective.

My favorite for today:

"We proceed as if we were separate from everything else, as if we were a fixed identity, when our true situation is ego less. We insist on being Someone, with a capital S. We get security from defining ourselves as worthless or worthy, superior or inferior. We waste precious time exaggerating or romanticizing or belittling ourselves with a complacent surety that yes, that's who we are. We mistake the openness of our being - the inherent wonder and surprise of each moment - for a solid, irrefutable self. Because of this misunderstanding, we suffer.

Verified loser status

I apparently wrote this to myself back in 3rd grade.

Eggs and relaxation. Both provided by Cosmo.

Wheelies!

Biking thru Hermosa, Manhattan, and Redondo.

Santa Barbara-ing

Intellectuals abound in lsla Vista!

Adventures with butternut squash

My first time cooking butternut squash wasn't too bad. I peeled, chopped and marinated the pieces in a olive oil, soy sauce, and crushed coriander. The coriander needed to be crushed a bit more, but after allowing it carmelize, the taste was similar to sweet potatoes on thanksgiving. Yum. Thanks to Veganomicon.

Day at Hermosa.

I would like some cheese, thanks.

Yesterday, I watched the motion picture, "Penelope". If you are unsure about the story, I beg you to check out the wiki page for the synopsis. It was quite short, but pretty filling. The one really cheese moment is whe-wait, I can't give you that. It would make this a spoiler.

My point?

Ok, I'm not saying I want a pig face, or money, I have been feeling very isolated lately. I deleted my Facebook.

(take a second to digest that, public!)

Working overnights has really been killing me lately. I just want to have the option of going out for drinks with a friend, or a show. I only get that option 2 nights a week, and I try not to complain. I am very fortunate for the job I have, with the benes and all, but sheesh. I live in the 2ND largest city in the country, and I haven't really "lived" it up, you know? There is so much I want to experience, and I understand I have time. I just wish it wasn't taking so dang long.

Is there any overnight proletarians feelin' my pain?

Of course, I found more.

Lovely flora in Redondo.

I want this now.

Ravioli Di Zucca from Pasta Pomodoro...roasted butternut squash, in a browned butter and sage sauce...yum.

You are getting very, very creative...

Today in class, my instructor introduced us to Oblique Strategies.

What, you ask?

Technically, it was originated for musicians, by a musician and an artist (Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt) to pull the haplass, stuck creature out of the despair of creative block.

(read: WTF I am gonna write/play/arrange/draw next?!)

Our heroes have devised a stack of cards with one sentenced cryptic remarks, that will hopefully pull you outta the abyss. Or, throw you in; whatever you like. You can purchase a stack of cards online, or there are website alternatives that offer up the phrases one click at a time.

The wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies

Oblique Strategies, one click at a time: http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/oblique/oblique.html

'Cause hoola hoopin' in your living room is where its at.

I was in a creative/angry spot, so, like any respectable adult; I decided to whip out my favorite childhood plaything. After 10 minutes of non-stop hoopin', I sort of left my "mark", if you will... in my carpet.

My Wednesday night

Massive Attack and Pizzeria Mozza...yaaay!

Imagine this beast in yer yard?

Sloth from La Brea tar pits

My dream volunteer job

Cleaning off fossils found in the La Brea Tar Pits.

Videos and such

I have created a Vimeo for some of my work, if anyone is interested in checking it out:

http://www.vimeo.com/user3820194

There's only 2 uploaded, but more is sure to come.

Seriously.

Thanks!

One more thing.

I deactivated my Facebook.

Never before I have felt so free.

The amount of time I have wasted on that site, not too mention the information I have shared with people.

Hmmm...

A taste of Coachella

I apologize for the double picture. Blogger would not allow me to delete it, so now, dear readers, you can enjoy my brazenly devoured churro twice.

An update.

I actually did create a Wordpress blog, but after much thought, I have decided not to use it. At first, I was lured in by the fancy app on my phone, but, like I said; Blogger is my much used and soiled blanket.

I'm also issuing out an apology: my creative loins are not up to par, and this blog has been suffering. My lame lists, and my mostly picture blogs have been my blogging style for awhile. I blame this on my new/renewed interest in audio post. The technical leanings have rearranged the grey matter- which I am not complaining, but writing has not been coming to me like it has in the past.

I guess I leave you with a bunch of excuses, and pleads to continue hanging out with me. Even though my blog does not include many memoirs about Master Control, but if it did; you might never come back.

Laurenation: "When I was checking the logs, I noticed the offset for break 2 was not present. "

You: "Zzzzzz...."

See?

When you are sleep deprived, and hungry for boredom, Laurenation is yer gal.

Changing horses mid-stream might be a good idea.

For a while now, there has been some debate in the house of Laurenation whether or not I should change blogging formats. Blogger, which has been good to me over the years, has been slightly frustrating to use. My pictures don't post correctly, the captions end up crooked, and mobile blogging on my new phone has been a tad more complicated.

Blogger, please don't blame it on my Cliq XT. I know you love the blame game, but this time; I am thinking it's your fault.

The Android marketplace has a Word Press application that makes it easy to blog on the go, which I enjoy tremendously. Posting pictures during my adventures is mas importante, and sometimes it doesn't go swimmingly. There's formatting issues, and usually need to go back in and fix the empty spaces on the entries...hmmm.

The hardest part is I have been on Blogger since 2005, and it has become my warm, well-loved blanket.

Decisions, decisions.

Desert animals?

A short while ago, I trekked to the Mojave for a visit. I heard about this place called the "wild desert reserve" for months now, and I finally demanded a showing.

So, one fine day in November, I took a trip.



Giraffes...

This poor goat wanted some leaves so badly. He continued to gaze hopefully at the branches, waiting for some to fall, or for one of us to assist him.



This lil' fellah was just hanging out. He wasn't in a cage, just some random desert lizard, enjoying the mid-afternoon sun.

Ostriches!!

Underwear idea?